Rabbi Bethie Miller

Larchmont, New York is a village – a one-square-mile village. People move here because they want to be part of a small, walkable community. They join Larchmont Temple because they want Jewish life in their suburban life. If you think this sounds lovely, you’re not alone, which is why the congregation has doubled in size in a generation. With more than 800 families, though, it doesn’t always feel as close or connected as we’d like, as people deserve, or as it once was.

Three years ago, it became increasingly clear that we couldn’t continue to operate as if we were still small, so we...